The Story of Westminster Hall by Caroline Shenton The great Anglo-Norman feasting hall created by William the Conqueror’s son, William Rufus, has stood at the heart of the Palace of Westminster for over 900 years. It has played host to royal magnificence, coronation feasts, chivalric games, law courts, and the lyings-in-state of Kings, Queens and […]

A Touch of the Sun by Sarah Lenton The oddest ‘star’ in opera is the Sun. Its appearance in The Magic Flute triggers the finale, when everybody dances off bathed in happy, rational daylight. But other operas are more wary about the heat. It’s the baking sun that precipitates the disastrous passions in Carmen and […]